14 Dec December

In this month’s newsletter we cover the Health and Safety Statistics from this year and two case studies in the courts:

1. Health and Safety Statistics 2021/22 – Statistics help identify accident trends and help prevent them in the future. 30.8 million working days lost due to work-related ill health and 123 workers  killed in work-related accidents in 2021/22.
2. Three Companies have been given six-figure fines after HGV driver seriously injured. Following the guilty pleas, the prosecution reconsidered the charges laid against Brixton (Hatton Cross) 1 Limited, Saints Transport Limited, and Davies Turner Air Cargo Limited, and determined that it was no longer in the public interest to continue with their cases. The prosecution offered no evidence, and these defendants were found not guilty. Speaking after the case, HM acting principal inspector Sarah Pearce said: “This incident was entirely avoidable. Workplace transport incidents fatally injure 50 workers in Great Britain a year, with 5,000 other incidents resulting in serious personal injury. “Where reasonably practicable, reversing manoeuvres should be avoided and pedestrians and moving vehicles segregated.” “Where businesses share a workplace, as in this case, they should ensure that there are systems in place for sufficient communication, co-operation and co-ordination so that others are aware of the risks arising from their undertaking.”
3. A Company has been fined after a fall leaves worker with life-changing brain injuries. The Court concluded the employees had not been adequately trained or instructed and supervision and monitoring was not adequate to identify the risk that existed. Autoneum Great Britain Ltd, of Stanley Matthews Way, Trentham Lakes, Stoke on Trent Staffordshire pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at work etc Act 1974 and was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay £10,126 costs at Cannock Magistrates Court on December 2, 2022. Falls from height caused the deaths of 174 workers over the past five years, representing 26% of all work-related fatalities. Speaking after the hearing, HSE acting principal inspector Andrew Johnson said: “Falls from height remain one of the most common causes of work-related fatalities in this country.” “The risks associated with working at height and safe systems of work to control the risks are well known.” “Employers have a responsibility to devise safe methods of work and to provide the necessary information, instruction, training and supervision to their employees and others working at their site.” “Had that been done, the life changing injuries Mr McFarlane has sustained could have been prevented.”